CUMS News
Libor Pesek conducts CUMS I
Thu 24th March 2011
See Cambridge Tab's review here!
CUMS Conducting Competition 2011
Tue 21st December 2010
CUMS Conducting Competition 2011
Applications are invited for opportunities to conduct CUMS I, CUMS II and CUWO in the academic year 2011-12. Applicants must be in statu pupillari at Cambridge University for that period.
There will be 3 rounds in the competition and all will be held on Tuesday 1st February. The first and second round will be held between 12.00 and 18.00, and candidates will have ear tests and be asked to conduct a piano duet
Repertoire for the piano duet, please choose one work from the following:
Beethoven Egmont Overture: From start to Bar No. 116
Sibelius Finlandia: From Start to the repeat bar (1 before letter H)
Schumann Symphony No.1: First Movement from start to 1st time bar (Bar No. 133)
The third round will be between 18.00 and 22.00. Candidates who progress to the second round will be asked to rehearse the following extracts for a short period with CUMS I Symphony Orchestra
Compulsory Work:
Elgar Cockaigne: From the start to Fig 5.
AND
Choose one work from the following:
Beethoven Egmont Overture: From start to Bar No. 116
Sibelius Finlandia: From Start to the repeat bar (1 before letter H)
Schumann Symphony No.1: First Movement from start to 1st time bar (Bar No. 133)
Candidates should send their CV, together with a formal letter of application, by email to Chloe Davidson, CUMS Orchestral Manager, by midnight on Monday 24th January. Application documents should be emailed to cnd26@cam.ac.uk Please note: applications received after this date will not be considered.
Please let me know your chosen piece when you email your application. Please note: You can choose the same piece for the second and third round.
Here CUMS Rachmaninov - The Tab reviews CUMS I Symphony Orchestra's first concert of the season.
Sat 6th November 2010
HERE CUMS RACHMANINOV
JOE CONWAY
CUMS 1 Symphony Orchestra. 30th October, 8pm, West Road Concert Hall. £16/£13/£5
All CUMS 1 concerts are special occasions, not only because this is the university's showcase symphony orchestra but also because it's constantly reinventing itself. New intakes of students, new conductors, new ideas about programming - these changes help to keep everyone on their toes.
The orchestra's first outing of the season was an Anglo-Russian programme which contained a world premiere, a rarely heard concerto, and a magnificent symphony. It also included plenty of exciting and exhilarating playing from the orchestra and a splendid performance by star cellist Robbie Stanley-Smith.
Playing from memory and sitting on an acoustically useful podium Robbie put everything into his performance of Walton's Cello Concerto. Accuracy, intense preparation, and the utmost care with tuning were only part of the story. Robbie used his powerful technical armoury to convey the bitter-sweet heart of the music. Lyrical and petulant, elegiac and aggressive in turn, this score is unusually recondite for Walton and needs advocacy. In Robbie it has found a champion.
Earlier the CUMS 1 strings had given the world premiere of Bax's Symphonic Serenade. Had they waited a few months longer it would have taken exactly 100 years for this work to reach the concert platform! Written in 1911 and reconstructed from a piano score by Graham Parlett, it invites comparison with Elgar's great Introduction and Allegro written only six years earlier. Luscious sonorities, gorgeous Elgarian tunes, and at times an odd hint of the Bax of the Fourth Symphony in more gutsy, rhythmic passages.
True there were one or two issues of intonation in the very high first violin part, and the orchestra's new principal conductor Martin Yates could have worked harder to secure more unanimous lower string pizzicatos in the Walton, but these were only minor glitches. And after the interval everyone contributed to a super-charged and appropriately erotic performance of Rachmaninov's Second Symphony. Martin's speeds were excellent and he wisely allowed plenty of time for some spectacularly sensual clarinet and cor anglais solos. Mmmm . . .
Varsity review CUMS Season Launch Concert
Mon 1st November 2010
The CUMS Season Launch Concert with CUCO was reviewed in Varsity. Click here for the full text.
Chorus Auditions
Mon 13th September 2010
Saturday 9 October 12.15-2 Bennett Room, Memorial Court, Clare College
Tuesday 12 October 2-4pm H1, Gibbs, King's College
The audition will last a few minutes and will consist of some simple ear tests, singing a few scales and arpeggios and some sight reading. There is no need to prepare a piece!
To arrange an audition, contact the Chorus Registrar, Alice Hinkins chorus.registrar@googlemail.com
CUMS I & CUMS Chorus reviewed in The Cambridge Tab
Mon 21st June 2010
CUMS I & CUMS Chorus were reviewed in The Cambridge Tab following the May Week Concert with Sir Roger Norrington. See here for the review!
CUMS II review in the Cambridge Tab
Tue 18th May 2010
CUMS II were reviewed in the Cambridge Tab click here for full review.
Cambridge University Musical Society (CUMS) seeks a Fundraising/Marketing co-ordinator for 2010/2011
Mon 3rd May 2010
The Cambridge University Musical Society has had a very successful year in 2009/2010. It has run an ambitious concert series with world famous conductors and has expanded by merging with the Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra (CUCO). We are now looking to recruit a Fundraising and Marketing co-ordinator to assist the Orchestra and Marketing Manager. The successful candidate will, ideally, have a musical background with some previous experience relevant to fundraising and marketing. The position is for 600 hours per annum and CUMS is able to offer a stipend for the year, which will equate to approximately £10 per hour. The successful candidate will be a pro-active and enthusiastic team-player with a flexible approach.
Candidates should send their CV and a formal letter of application by the closing date of 1st June 2010. Application documents should be sent to Chloe Davidson, CUMS Orchestra Manager (cnd26@cam.ac.uk). If you would like any more information about the position please contact Chloe Davidson.
CUMS AGM -- Thursday 18 February, 9.15pm
Tue 12th January 2010
Notice is hereby given that the CUMS AGM will be held on Thursday 18 February at 9.15pm in St Andrew's Street Baptist Church Upper Hall. The meeting is open to all members of CUMS and of the CUMS Supporters' Circle.
The following papers are available for download:
- The Agenda
- The minutes of last year's AGM and of the EGM held on 22 October 2009
- Audited financial statements for CUMS and for the CUMS Fund for the financial year 1 August 2008-31 July 2009.
- The proposed revision of the constitution, with the old version attached for the purposes of comparison.
The purpose of the new constitution is to facilitate the integration into CUMS of the Cambridge University Music Club and the Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra. If this new constitution is adopted, the Club will hold an EGM on Monday 22 February in order to complete the merger process.
If members have questions about any item on the agenda, they are invited to contact the Chairman, Simon Fairclough, on snf25@cam.ac.uk in advance of the meeting.
CUMS and CUMC plan for the future of music in Cambridge
Tue 12th January 2010
The Cambridge University Musical Society (CUMS) and the Cambridge University Music Club (CUMC) are pleased to announce that merger talks between the two organisations are underway. By joining forces, CUMS and CUMC will create a strong new organisation at the heart of Cambridge's musical life, attracting the world's foremost musical professionals to work with Cambridge students, raising the national and international profile of Cambridge's world-class musical tradition, and preparing Cambridge's finest young musicians for a smooth transition into the world of professional music.
We would value any input which interested members or supporters of CUMS or CUMC might wish to give at this important moment for music at Cambridge. Anyone interested in the issues surrounding this proposal is warmly invited to attend a consultation evening on Monday 18th January at 8pm in the Thirkill Room, Old Court, Clare College. A short presentation outlining the proposal will be followed by an opportunity to discuss the matter in greater depth with Simon Fairclough, Chairman of CUMS, and Andrew Browning, President of CUMC. If you are unable to attend the consultation evening but would like to voice your thoughts, please feel free to contact Simon or Andrew by email.
CUMS 2009 Tuscany Tour
Wed 23rd September 2009
Cambridge University Musical Society continued the celebrations of the University's 800th anniversary with a tour of Tuscany in August. This ambitious undertaking took the Chorus and CUMS I orchestra, 130 performers in all, to venues in Florence, and the surrounding area, where they performed under the batons of their Principal Conductor Stephen Cleobury and recent Cambridge graduates Mark Austin and Joseph Fort. Highlights included a performance of Dvorak's New World Symphony in the shadow of Siena Cathedral and a triumphant rendition of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in the magnificent surroundings of the Salone dei Cinquecento in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. The tour was organised by Chorus and Orchestra managers Caroline Goulder and Mark Austin with Dr John Barber of King's College, and generously supported by the Fondazione del Bianco and James Bradburne of Palazzo Strozzi.
CUMS gets 4 star review in the Evening Standard
Wed 24th June 2009
Click here for the full review
"It was good, nevertheless, to have the opportunity to hear such a large-scale piece (this was its London premiere) and to have it performed by forces as distinguished as these, under Stephen Cleobury."
NEW CUMS ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP TEAM UNVEILED: SIR ROGER NORRINGTON APPOINTED PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR
Mon 4th May 2009
Sir Roger Norrington, one of the most distinguished British conductors of his generation, has been appointed as Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor of CUMS from the end of the 2008-09 academic year. Sir Roger has worked with many of the great orchestras, choirs and opera houses of the world. He conducted last year's memorable Last Night of the Proms, fronted the recent television series "Maestro", and has released hundreds of recordings during the course of his career. Sir Roger's first performance with CUMS will be Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem on 12 June 2010 in King's College Chapel.
With advice from Sir Roger The Society will in due course appoint a young professional orchestral conductor to take on a new role as Orchestra Director. He or she will work alongside Sir Roger to develop significantly Cambridge's provision of opportunities for orchestral players over the coming years.
Stephen Cleobury, who will be stepping down from his current position as The Society's Principal Conductor in June after 27 years at the helm, has accepted the CUMS Committee's invitation to retain an involvement with The Society in the new position of Chorus Director. In his new role Cleobury will focus his energies specifically on developing The Society's programme of choral music.
A "Great Conductors" series of concerts will be launched from the 2009-10 academic year, with the objective of bringing a succession of world-class orchestral conductors to work with Cambridge students over the coming years. Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Principal Guest Conductor of the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, will open the series in March 2010, and it will continue with Norrington's visit in June.
Commenting on these developments, CUMS Chairman Simon Fairclough said "I am thrilled to unveil our new artistic leadership team. Sir Roger is one of the great orchestral conductors of our time, and I am delighted that he has agreed to become involved with Cambridge music-making on an ongoing basis. Stephen is renowned as one of the world's foremost choral conductors, and I am hugely grateful to him for his continuing loyalty and dedication to CUMS. Our Great Conductors series will expose Cambridge students to a range of orchestral conductors of the highest calibre on an ongoing basis. We are entering what promises to be a golden age of great music and great musicians."
SPECIAL EVENT - COME & SING WITH SIR DAVID WILLCOCKS IN KING'S CHAPEL
Fri 6th March 2009
Saturday 9 May 1.30 - 5
All welcome!
Fauré Requiem and Stanford Beati quorum + Justorum animae
Click here for details and to download registration form
David Willcocks will be signing copies of his recent book "A Life in Music" at this event.
CUMS Seeks Orchestral and Marketing Manager for 2009/10
Thu 19th February 2009
The Cambridge University Music Society is seeking potential candidates for the position of orchestral manager for the academic year 2009/10. The appointed candidate would be working primarily with CUMS I, the University's top Symphony Orchestra, gaining a great deal of professional experience in artistic management. They would also be responsible for CUMS Marketing and Publicity (although we can consider splitting the two roles between two people).
Orchestra manager role
As ever, the orchestra has an increasingly exciting and challenging programme of music and events in the coming year, and the right candidate would be working at the very front of the music making with the orchestra. The position would include various roles from day to day management, to programme editing and publicity, as well as providing further administrative support to CUMS e.g., in publicity and organising auditions, conductor competitions.
Marketing manager
CUMS has five ensembles, all of which require strong marketing and publicity to attract members and audiences. The candidate would perform this role which, this year, took approximately 180 hours.
It may be possible to split the job between two candidates - so the time commitment and exact roles are varied and open to negotiation. CUMS is able to offer a stipend for the year, which will equate to approximately £10 per hour. We anticipate that a minimum of 540 hours in total will be required - but it could be as much as 900 hours.
At this point in time, we would like to hear from potential candidates so that we can jointly discuss the scope of activities and number of hours required. If you'd like to know more, or to express possible interest, please contact Mark Austin (ma371@cam.ac.uk), the CUMS Orchestral Manager, or Jo Whitehead, CUMS Vice Chairman (jo.whitehead@ashridge.org.uk).
CUMS AGM 2009
Thu 5th February 2009
The CUMS AGM 2009 is on Thursday 19th February after the chorus rehearsal at 9.45pm in St Andrew's Street Baptist Church
Online Booking!
Tue 20th January 2009
You can now book online for most of our concerts by clicking here:
CUMS CONDUCTING COMPETITION 2009
Mon 12th January 2009
We are pleased to announce the repertoire for the first round will be Brahms, Variations on a Theme of Haydn (op. 56a) and for the second round Elgar, Sea Pictures.
Candidates will be asked individually to prepare a specific extract of each piece.
CUMS Concerto Competition 2009
Wed 7th January 2009
Applications are invited for the opportunity to perform a concerto with CUMS I, CUMS II or CUWO in the academic year 2009-10. Applicants must be in statu pupillari at Cambridge University for that period.
Auditions will be held during the afternoons of 3rd and 4th March (1-4pm). Candidates are asked to prepare a short sequence of music (one or more pieces) lasting no more than 10 minutes to perform to the panel. No accompanist will be provided; candidates are invited to bring their own. The panel may also conduct a brief interview with each candidate.
Candidates should bring a copy of the music to be played for the use of the panel. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.
The panel is chaired by Stephen Cleobury, and will include a number of other professional musicians.
Candidates should send their CV, together with a formal letter of application, by email to Mark Austin, CUMS Orchestral Manager, by midnight on Sunday 15th February. Application documents should be emailed to ma371@cam.ac.uk
Please note: applications received after this date will not be considered.
CUMS Conducting Competition 2009
Tue 6th January 2009
Applications are invited for opportunities to conduct CUMS I, CUMS II and CUWO in the academic year 2009-10. Applicants must be in statu pupillari at Cambridge University for that period.
There will be two rounds in the competition. For the first, to be held on the afternoon of 6th February (1-4pm), candidates will be asked to conduct a piano duet, and complete a written aural and musicianship test.
Candidates who progress to the second round, to be held on 10th February (7.30-10.30pm), will be asked to rehearse extracts of selected pieces for a short period with CUMS I. In the days following this, some candidates may be asked to attend a further short interview. No conclusions as to the eventual choice of conductors should be drawn from this; selection for an extra interview does not indicate further progress in the competition.
The repertoire for the auditions will be announced on Monday 12th January.
The panel is chaired by Stephen Cleobury, and will include a number of other experienced professional musicians, as well as student representatives from the three ensembles.
Candidates should send their CV, together with a formal letter of application, by email to Mark Austin, CUMS Orchestral Manager, by midnight on Sunday 18th January. Application documents should be emailed to ma371@cam.ac.uk
Please note: applications received after this date will not be considered.